Attempt to Eliminate Discrimination Deadline Without Debate Fails

The Senate majority yesterday did not achieve the 60 votes needed to cut off further debate and summarily pass the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which would largely eliminate deadlines for filing pay discrimination claims under several federal employment laws (principally Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, but also the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Americans With Disabilities Act, and the Rehabilitation Act). The vote in favor of the bill was 56-to-42. The White House has said it may veto the bill.

We earlier explained how the bill is based on ignorance about the scope of the Supreme Court’s decision in Ledbetter v. Goodyear (2007), and how it could result in unnecessary lawsuits by people other than victims of discrimination.